ishari's bookshelf

I'm still alive...just a lot going on here on the homefront. New jobs, new town, new house...all are just over the horizon. So, things are probably only going to get busier. This hasn't stopped me from reading, however...just haven't had time to write any reviews. Until now. Been reading an excellent arc copy of Half a King - which is the new up and coming fantasy from Joe Abercrombie and so far it is EXCELLENT. Can't wait to finish it and do that review. But for now...Saga.

Saga, volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Brian VAughan and Fiona Staples

Saga by Vaughan and Staples...well, what can I say about it? The story is rich and engaging. The artwork is amazing. I mean...it doesn't get much better than this.

Saga follows the...well...saga of new parents, Marko and Alana. They have a lot of hurdles to overcome - especially as they have a touch of the Romeo and Juliet syndrome (they are combatants in opposing armies...Marko was a prisoner of war who fell in love with his jailer, Alana).

I don't want to go into the plot too much as it's best seeing it unfold before you. Suffice it to say...check this series out. This is one not to miss. At all.

Rating:

autumn bones by Jacqueline Carey

Ok, so I won't lie...I'm sick and tired of hearing about Daisy's creepy tail. Oh and in this book, we get a description of it! It's several inches long with blond hair that stands on end much like the hair on the back of your neck when you're alarmed.

Gross, right?

All I can think about is a rat tail with some hair on it. Seriously...go Google a picture of a hairy rat tail. Actually, don't...who knows what you might end up seeing.

Other than the tail ...*shudder*... this was an OK book. I didn't love it...but I didn't hate it either. In Autumn Bones we delve a little deeper into Daisy's forays as Hel's liaison and her attempts to keep the eldritch under control in her little town. It doesn't help that her boyfriend Sinclair turns out to be descended from a line of obeah men/women (ie. a family of strong Caribbean withes)....a family that wants Sinclair out of the States and back on the Islands with them where they think he belongs. Soon Daisy is on a deadline to save her town from an evil duppy (ie. the ghost/spirit of Sinclair's dead obeah-man grandfather) before the veil between the living and the dead is torn down forever.

I remember really enjoying the first one (Dark Currents) and I definitely think a knowledge of the first installment is almost a must to really enjoy Autumn Bones. My biggest issue with the story was that it slowed w-a-y down right at the climax of the plot. I mean, why would it do that? The set-up chapters were really easily to read and moved fast...but when the plot really started to pick up, it just got tedious.

So tedious that I was ready for it to just be done.

Oh and there's a tail-waggin' love triangle as well. Not really original, but...whatevs.

That said...will I read the next one when it comes out? Yeah, I will. I don't know if I will it will be as "on top" of my reading list like this one was...and I still waited several months to read this one.

Rating:

The right wife by Beverly Barton

Just received approval for this arc - so excited! I love the cover...I do love a pretty dress.

Anyway, here's the Back Cover Blurb:

In a sweeping and vibrant novel set in the post-war South, New York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton follows one young woman's journey to love and independence. . .

1885. All of Margaret Campbell's hopes for the future lie in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Since the death of her sharecropper father, eighteen-year-old Maggie has no resources and few allies, aside from the relatives who've agreed to take her in. With luck, she might yet make an upright gentleman of her brother, and a real lady of her rebellious little sister. And perhaps, once her siblings are settled, she'll find a decent, hardworking man to marry. But those plans are jeopardized the moment she meets Aaron Stone.

Effortlessly charming, Aaron is building an empire in the South. Maggie knows he wants the right kind of wife to overcome the shadows surrounding his birth--someone like the well-connected widow he's been courting. Someone a million miles from a penniless, outspoken sharecropper's daughter. But neither jealousy, family secrets, nor long-held prejudices will keep Maggie from following her heart. . .and...my blurb:

Most of the historical romances I read tend to be Regency Romances. I am looking forward to an American historical romance! Can't wait to get started on this one!

Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward

I think I've realized that the back cover blurb (BCB) on the back of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB)books are only nominally descriptive. See, if we were to go by the BCB of this BDB book, we would expect a book dedicated to Vishous. And when a huge revelation about Vishous is discovered within the first fifty pages or so...you realize that yes Vishous needs an entire book to explore his background and progression within the main story arc.

As you read further, however, you realize that the BCB wasn't helpful at all. Yes, you do learn some more about Vishous. But an equal (if not more?) amount of time is spent on Phury and John. While I am looking forward to both of their books...this was a book about Vishous and I wanted to read about him. Instead, it seemed as though Vishous was relegated to the background for a lot of the book.

Because V seemed to be a "background character" at some points, his romance with Jane seemed about as deep as a parking lot puddle. And because the romance seemed contrived and based solely on lust (and, despite Jane's opinion otherwise, there may have been some Stockholm Syndrome at play here...), the big twist in their relationship at the end was kind of weird.

I don't mind that Ward tells a huge story in each of her books. And I understand that the books are going to feature all of the Brothers to some extent. I just wish that more time had been spent on V. Even compared to the earlier books...this installment seemed less focused and more of a filler novel.

And while I am looking forward to the next book which features Phury...I feel as though most of his story has already been told in Lover Unbound which makes me wonder if Phury's book will do the same as this one - focus on everyone but him.

Rating:

The Immortal crown by richelle mead

This is book number two in the Age of X series. If you haven't read number one (Gameboard of the Gods) you will probably want to check that out before diving into The Immortal Crown.

Back Cover Blurb:The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodline series returns with the second installment in her acclaimed Age of X series.

Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.

My blurb:

I enjoy Richelle Mead and I'll confess...book number one (Gameboard of the Gods) is on my To-Read list. So am I ready to pick up The Immortal Crown right this moment? Probably not. I will say, however, that I am super excited to have this ARC copy sitting on my Kindle...love the cover, love the author and the premise seems pretty interesting. I plan to get crackin' on this one pretty soon.

Felt like picking up some graphic novels...here are two of them I just finished.

Chew & morning glories

Chew was a delight. Sick...twisted...right up my alley. I don't know what that says about me. Here's the back cover blurb:

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

Yep. This one's a winner. The art is fantastic and each panel is engaging - even down to the background images in each scene. I finished this first volume feeling satisfied...kind of like I ate a wonderful meal (without any psychic images...).

Rating:

Morning Glories was a fun read. I still don't know exactly what happened, though. I finished this first collection with a general "Huh??" feeling. Not that the content was especially deep...the plot just seemed to stir up more questions than answers (which is what I think it's supposed to do). Here's the blurb:

Morning Glory Academy

One of the most prestigious prep schools in the country...But behind it's hallowed doors something sinister and deadly lurks. When six brilliant but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and desperately seeking answers...and escape from a place where nothing is what it seems to be!

This novel had beautiful art throughout. It's definitely a "prettier" style than the artwork in Chew. I really enjoyed Morning Glories despite the lack of answers. I think I shall keep reading.

Rating:

The King by J.r. Ward

Ok, so this one eeked through into the Weekly Newbie column. Just coming out this week, The King is J.R. Ward's latest installment in the extremely popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Here's the Back Cover Blurb on this one (not really spoilery unless you haven't ready any of the BDB books...):

J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

Long live the King…

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle--with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything--and everyone--at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response--or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?

My blurb:

I picked this as the Weekly Newbie since I am currently immersed in Lover Unbound (the tale of Vishous - son of the Bloodletter) and am trying to catch up in this series. Obviously I have quite a long way to go as I am on book 5 and book 12 just came out...but I'm giving it a shot. It seems the general consensus is that readers are glad Ward is returning to the original BDB members. I'm not sure how it will be returning back to Wrath...are we coming completely back around now? Time to tackle generation number two? Not sure where Ward is taking this...but then again I am only on book five. Can't wait to...at some point...get to this one!